New road improvements round Clapton Pond will make it safer for pedestrians and improve the landscape.  

Lea Bridge ward councillors have supported the Clapton Pond Neighbourhood Action Group in their campaign to make access to the Pond easier.

And some recent problems in the area with drug dealing and prostitution have been dealt with in liaison with local Police and Hackney Council’s community safety unit.

“ The Pond is an oasis in a very busy urban landscape – we want to see it kept as an area which everyone can come and enjoy,” said Cllr Ian Rathbone.

 Councillor Carole Williams, Cabinet member for Employment, Skills and Human Resources, launched the Council’s new apprenticeship programme in March, 2017,which will see 100 apprentices working across a host of council services by 2018/19.

In July the Council advertised for apprentices for a wide range of service areas across the Council including business and administration, youth work, customer services, multi-trade, gas engineering (commercial), electrical, carpentry, revenues and communications.

All of our apprenticeships last at least 12 months, combine work, on and off the job training, and study towards a recognised qualification in a relevant subject.

The Council has committed to paying all apprentices aged over 18 a salary of around £19,000 per year, which is above London Living Wage, and well above the average apprenticeship salary which is around £13,000 per year.

The governments proposed changes to education through the National Funding Formula (NFF). The introduction of the NFF  means Hackney could lose £26 million towards education ,this  equates to the lost 692 teachers. The government will then re-distribute the £26 to other schools. We welcome other schools should receiving more funding but believe more money should invested in Education to so, instead of removing funding from children in Hackney.  

Cllr Bramble and Cllr Ozen joined Cllrs, and parents/carers  from London Fields Primary school from the Hackney Fairer Funding Campaign to march outside parliament.  

The Deputy Mayor Anntoinette was  proud to lead the March and speak at the rally. She spoke about Hackney’s excellent results and the a rich curriculum giving children the opportunity to aim, aim, aspire and achieve. It was a good opportunity to hear from Hackney children what they feel about the proposed cuts!

We have been campaigning for some time for the cuts to be reversed. Alongside the Mayor, headteachers and and governors representing 50 Hackney schools co-signed our letter to Ms Greening, urging her to halt funding cuts and clarify the Government’s position, which shows how concerned those on the front line, teaching our children, are about the future funding of our schools.

It’s important that they know where they stand as soon as possible and we will continue to press for fair funding for our schools until we have a guarantee that Hackney will not be unfairly affected by future proposals. 

Justine Greening made an announcement on the 17^th July pledging more funding! While we, cautiously welcome the announcement, the campaign will continue until we are reassurances that no Hackney School is worse off, when the National Funding Formula.

Well done London Fields Primary School they did a brilliant job campaigning!